Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Ok, the 3.8" tyres have gone from the rear of the Mundo for now. After a few weeks trying out the first set up, I soon realised that the benefits of wide rubber on the rear were out weighed by the lack of gear range when hauling loads

Winter is nearly here, so I have fitted a Duro Leopard 26x3" tyre to the rear of the bike. With the spacing mods I previously did, there is loads of room to run this tyre & have a full gear range.

While I was at it, I fitted a Megarange 34t freewheel - truckin' made easy!

This project will return full fat at some point, but it will require a gear hub & for now, that is not possible due to the gear range issue.

I also enjoy the simple stock drivetrain, easy to maintain & cheap for replacement parts. What's not to like on a bike that will be used 365 days a year?

It looks skinny in there, but that is still 70mm wide!

Front end now sporting rack & pogies

The Duro tyre on the rear is perfect for this bike. Very tough tyre, difficult to puncture & well suited to carrying large loads.

First real offroad ride was fantastic. It rides like a much lighter bike & unloaded, you soon forget about how much bike you are hauling.

Pretty much sorted for a winter of bikepacking. Winter camping means bulkier gear, so this is the perfect tool for the job.

Another chapter of riding has opened with this bike. I can see some interesting trips in 2013....

Thursday, 25 October 2012

Fat bikes & kids are a great combo. The big squishy tyres give the wee ones a lovely ride on the back & for the rider the bike is really stable. Perfect for taking the kids off the beaten track, but like all good things, this has came to an end. My son has outgrown the normal kids seat that fits onto the back of the 907 & the addition of his little sister has created cycling conundrum in the motorman household - how do I get both the kids out at the same time?

After several weeks of trawling the internet & forums, I finally decided to buy a Yuba Mundo. There are many reasons why I chose this cargo bike, but the biggest & most important factor was the large rear tyre clearance. Room enough to fit fat tyres back there....
My original plan was to build the bike using a N-360 hub, but due to some issues in sourcing the correct dropout adaptors & concerns about usable gear range, I have decided to keep the standard rear wheel. I also like the security of the 14mm axle & 48h rim when the bike is loaded up with the wee ones.
The front end is using a Surly 135mm non offset for & 36h, 42mm wide doublewall rim from a unicycle !

The bike can be configured in a few different ways depending on what I am doing with it. Full family mode means both kids on the back. When the kids are on the bike, the xtracycle bags keep small feet away from the wheel.

only 1 passenger? No problem - the seat can be removed in less than a minute

Uber strong frame. No flex from this bad boy

Home made solution for deck & foot platforms. Yuba wants more than £100 their plastic versions....

Very versatile load area. Those platforms mean almost anything can be tied to the bike up to its 400lb load limit.

This is the absolute maximum width tyre that will work if you want to keep standard gears.

The rear wheel had to be dished over to the non drive side to maximise chain clearance. In addition, the cassette was spaced out to the drive side by the same amount.

Up front, the BB was moved out to the drive side by fitting an old SS spacer. Still following?

Result. That's what I call a neat chain line

There is no doubt the Yuba is a huge bike, but I was surprised there was not more difference in length between it & the 907. Very similar geometry too, if you compare the 2 bikes.

Big & bigger

Cargo bike at it's best - carrying stuff, children included !

Car got a puncture? No problem..

This bike is mainly a kiddie carrying tool & for the local shopping run, but I would like to try some camping trips with this bike. It may not be fast, but it is fun, fat & functional & I am really happy with how it has turned out!